Powder dispenser with screw adjusting delivery means



Aug". 28, 1956 w. A. DUDLEY POWDER DISPENSER WITH SCREW ADJUS'IZING DELIVERY MEANS Filed Nov. 15, 1953 Dl/bLEy,

LLIAM .4

United States POWDER DISPENSER WHTH SCREW ADJUSTING DELIVERY MEANS Application November 13, 1953, Seriai No. 391,919 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-398) This invention has reference to dispensers for powdered materials such as powdered soap; and an object of the invention is to provide a dispenser of simple and reliably acting form and having adjustability throughout a suitably wide range of the volume which it delivers at each actuation.

The type of dispenser with which this invention deals is one in which a measuring and delivery valve is vertically reciprocable. In dispensers of that type attempts have been made to adjustably vary the delivery volume by adjustably varying the vertical stroke of valves of certain types, e. g. the poppet type. Such volume adjustments are undependable and in fact more or less inoperative over any considerable adjustment range. If such valves are opened too widely they are liable to allow freely flowing materials to run uncontrolled from the dispenser container.

In a dispenser of the type utilizing a vertically reciprocating measuring valve, it is a feature of my invention that, while maintaining non-running conditions for all valve positions, the measured delivery volume is accurately adjustable over a wide range without any change in the valve stroke.

A preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections showing the illustrative embodiment with its valve, respectively, in normal and delivery positions; and

Fig. 3 shows the valve in a mid-position.

In the drawings, designates a suitable container body, usually cylindric, with an internal frusto-conical bottom 12 which leads to a valve opening 14, commonly circular. A shell 16 depends from the lower central part of'12 and has a delivery opening 18 of the same shape and size as valve opening 14 and spaced vertically below the latter by a definite distance. Shell 16 is shaped to form an annular delivery chamber 20 around the valve, the external diameter of that annular chamber being larger than that of openings 14 and 18.

A composite plunger valve is vertically reciprocable in the openings 14 and 18 and within chamber 20. The valve is made up of two parts; a lower cylindric valve stopper 32 and an upper cylindric measuring annulus 34 which is vertically adjustable, preferably by screw threads, on and with reference to the stopper 32. The stopper has an upward reduced extension 36, externally screw-threaded. The upper measuring annulus 34 comprises primarily the annulus 38 threaded on extension 36 for vertical adjustment and preferably also comprises the locking ring 40 threaded on 36 above 38. The term measuring annulus as here used means either a single annular member or a double one for securely locking the adjusted position. The measuring annulus 34 and the valve stopper 32 are of the same or substantially the same diameters, both cylindrical in external form when the openings 14 and 18 are in their preferable circular form, and of a size to have just a slight atent 2,760,689 Patented Aug. 28, 6

2 clearance, say about inch diametrally, in the openings.

The annular space 37 between the lower and preferably square shouldered end of measuring annulus 34 and the shoulder 39 at the upper end of valve stopper 32 constitutes an annular measuring pocket of adjustable vertical dimension and therefore adjustable vo'lume. Shoulder 39 which forms the lower wall of that pocket is preferably outwardly sloping, to facilitate shedding of powdered material from the pocket outwardly into the surrounding annular delivery chamber 20. And the volume of an nular delivery chamber 20 (considered as a chamber whose internal diameter is that of the valve or of the openings 14 and 18 and whose volume thus does not include the volume of the measuring pocket 37) is larger than the volume of the annular measuring pocket at its typically largest adjusted volume.

By reference to the drawings it will be noted that preferably the reduced valve extension 36 has a lower portion which is plainly cylindric and not threaded. The lower member 38 of the measuring annulus is threaded only in its upper portion and has a plain unthreaded skirt 38a which overhangs downwardly over the plain cylindric part of the extension. These provisions obviate the presence of any screw threads appearing in the inner wall surface of the annular measuring notch 37 and thus increase the freedom with which po'wdered material will flow from the notch into the discharge chamber.

A valve stem 50 extends up from the stopper extension 36 and its upper end is vertically guided in a web or spider formation 52 that is mounted inten'orly across the upper end of body 10. The web formation may include a stiffener 52a through which the valve stem also passes; and a transverse pin 54 through the upper end of the stem forms a downwardlyfacing shoulder resting on the web formation to limit downward movement of the stem and the composite valve and thus to fix the lower position of the valve-the position shown in Fig. 1. A handle 60 extends from the lower end of the valve to facilitate manual valve lifting; and the stop means for limiting the upward movement of the valve and also for imparting a distinct jar to the container at the upper end of the valve stroke are preferably although not necessarily embodied in cooperation with the handle. As shown, the handle 60 consists essentially of a rod depending from the valve stopper 32 and having a horizontal portion 62 which extends horizontally through a slot 64 formed in a frusto-conical skirt 66, that depends from the lower end of body 10 and has an opening 68 at its lower ends paced below the delivery opening 18. Slot 64 extends vertically in skirt 66 and its upper end, 64a, forms an abutment against which handle 60 strikes when the handle and valve are in their limited upper position, the position of Fig. 2. The handle is confined in the slot in all positions, the slot thus serving to keep the handle always in a given orientation about the vertical axis of the container, which is usually mounted rigidly on a wall.

In the lower limited position, the normal position, of the composite valve, the upper part of valve stopper 32 stands in delivery opening 18, closing that opening effectively against escape of powdered material from delivery chamber 20. In that lower limited position the lower end of measuring annulus 34 is typically below the level of measuring opening 14, effectively closing that opening against free flow of powdered material from container 10 into the delivery chamber 20. The measuring annulus may be adjusted from a lower position in which its preferably square lower end contacts the shoulder 39 and in which the measuring pocket 37 is reduced to substantially zero volume, to an upper position where its lower end is substantially at the level of upper opening 14 and justcloses that opening when the valve is in the lower position of Fig. 1. Although the measuring annulus can be adjusted to a position above that, it

loses its measuring function if thatis done, because the material may then flow freely from the container into delivery chamber 20 when the valve is in lower position. At any adjusted position below the level of 14, the position of the measuring annulus andthe corresponding adjustedvolume of annular measuring pocket 37 determine veryaccurately the volume of powder delivered by stroking the valve up and down. In fact; actual tests of the dispenser with themeasuring annulus in a series of adjusted positions have demonstrated that the delivery volume is accurately controlled to be in substantially direct ratio to the vertical spacingof the measuring annulus above shoulder 39; aslong as the measuring annulus is not adjusted to, be above opening 14 when the valve is' in lower position.

- 'In normal operation, the valve is stroked sharply upward until handle 62 strikes abutment 64a. In that position (see Fig. 2) the lower end of valve stopper 32 has moved up above the level of lower delivery opening 18 and its upper part has moved up into upper measuring opening 14 to close that opening. The quantity of ma terial that has been measured into delivery chamber 20 then immediately runs out through delivery opening 18, being jarred into free running it necessary by the shock of handle 60 striking abutment 64a. By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the vertical dimension of the cylindric part of stopper 32 is such that its lower end does not leave opening 18 until its upper end has efiectively entered upper opening 14. That is, its vertical dimension is not substantially less than the vertical spacing between 18 and 14. That provision not only gives the --valve continued vertical: guidance as it moves between the positions of Figs. l and 2; but also makes certain that at leastone of the openings 14 and 18 will be closed at all valvepositions, making it impossible to run material freely out of the container by holding the valve in an intermediate position. Thus, in the upper position of Fig. '2 only the measured quantity of material which has been measured into delivery chamber 20 on the previous valve stroke runs out through delivery opening 18.

The constant engagement of valve stopper 32 with one or the other of openings 14 and 18 gives the valve vertical guidance throughout its strike. Guide vanes, such as indicated at 35, may also be used if desired, located in the lower part of the conical bottom 12 and guidingly engaging the upper measuring annulus 34.

In the position of Fig. 2 the powdered material, jarred by the handle striking 64a, flows from the container into the adjusted annular measuring cavity which is then located wholly above the container bottom. 'On the subsequent down stroke of the valve the quantity in the measuring cavity is carried down into the position shown in Fig. l, where, on the sharp stoppage of valve movement by the down-stop striking, the measured charge is delivered outwardly into the discharge chamber 20.

In the normal position of Fig. 1, it will be noted that 4 the lower sloping shoulder 39 that defines the lower end of the annular measuring cavity 37 stands at a level substantially above the bottom of the surrounding annular delivery chamber 20, so that the measured material is entirely dumped from 37 into 20. With that in view the volumetric capacity of 20 below the level of shoulder 39 is preferably at least as large as the largest adjusted volume of the annular measuring pocket 37. On the next upward stroke, aided by the sharp jar at the stroke stoppage, the measured quantity in chamber 20 drops out through the open delivery opening (Fig. 2) and a new measured charge moves into the annular measuring cavity 37. a

It is to be noted that both the actions of charge measuring in the quantity determined by adjustment of anannulus 34, and of final charge delivery, take place on the upstroke of the valve. That upstroke is the same for all volumetric adjustments of the measuring annulus. 1

I claim:

A dispenser for powdered soap and the like comprising, a container with a bottom having a circular valve opening therein, a shell extending down from the container bottom, said shell enclosing a discharge chamber of lateral dimensions substantially larger than the valve opening and having at its lower end a circular discharge opening directly below and of the same size as thevalve opening, a composite plunger valve reciprocable vvertically in the discharge chamber and through both said openings, said valve being of a size to fit the openings closely and to slide vertically therein and being composed of a cylindric lower valve stopper whose vertical dimension is not substantially less than the vertical spacing between the two openings, Ian upwardly extending reduced cylindric extension on the valve stopper, the extension being plainly cylindric in its lower part adjacent the upper end of the stopper and being externally screw threaded above that lower part, and a cylindric measuring annulus screw-threadedly mounted on and around the extension and adjustable in position thereon to adjustably vary the vertical distance between its lower end and the upper end of the stopper so as to define therebetween an annular measuring cavityof adjustable vertical dimension, the measuring annulus being internally threaded only in' its upper portion and having a dependent annular skirt 38a overhanging the plain .cylindric lower part of the extension,.means limiting the downward movement of the plunger valve to a lower position inwhich the upperend of the valve stopper is at a'level intermediate the levels of the two openings with the lower end of the measuring annulus in an adjusted position below the level of the upper valve opening, and means limiting the upward movement of the plunger valve to an upper position in which the lower end of the valve stopperis at a level intermediate the levels of the two openings. J

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 427,165 Fiskett May 6,1890 2,357,387 lludlye Sept; 5, i944 

